The Houstonian Fall: Moody Gump

Today, we ventured down to Galveston for the day…well, half a day, since we got another late start. We stopped for brunch at Sweet Paris Crêperie and Cafe, which ended up being amazing. My wife and I shared a savory crepe (La Canadienne) and a sweet crepe (Apple Cinnamon Crème Brûlée), because neither of us could choose between them. Both were equally delicious.

After scarfing down our crepes (and licking the plates), we headed to Moody Gardens to see the aquarium. Moody Gardens consists of three pyramids, an aquarium, a rainforest, and a discovery interactive show experience. We knew we didn’t have time for all of them, so we opted for the sea life. It did not disappoint. The attraction winds you around and up and down the main feature, which is a replica oil rig transcending all three floors of the aquarium. The whole place was filled with Halloween decorations, with skeletons in and around the various fish exhibits, which gave it a Pirates of the Caribbean feel. Especially when you got to the fish tunnel at the end with the sunken pirate ship.

It had all of the usual features and fish that you’d expect in an aquarium; sharks, jellyfish, starfish, etc. But it also had something extra. A stingray petting tank. All three of us enjoyed stroking the slimy stingrays along their backs as they drifted by. Troy had a good time teaching other little kids how to properly touch the stingrays, the best places to stand, and what he’d spontaneously named each stingray. I heard other little kids walking around referring to the stingrays as “Brownie,” or “Brickleback,” or “Blackie.” It was adorable, and the parents appreciated his tender patience with the younger kids.

The only other place that we spent significant time was at the sea lion tank. They were cleaning the tank, and the sea lions were messing with the cleaner and trainers the whole time. So, it was fun to watch them and give voice to their playful personalities, imagining them saying funny things to the trainers.

We stayed until they closed and kicked us out. Then, we headed to Kemah to check out the boardwalk. The boardwalk was decorated with Halloween decorations, so it was pretty cool. It was pretty crowded, despite the fact that most of the stuff was closed. So, after a stroll along the boardwalk, we decided to eat dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp. We had a great view from the window, so we were able to watch the sunset over the water as we scarfed down our seafood dishes.

UPDATE: Apparently, there is a Sweet Paris Crêperie and Cafe right here in Dallas! Who knew?!